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Roast Halibut with Clams, Coriander and Lime by Michel Roux Jr

Cook at Home

“Razor clams are a rare treat – they don’t like hanging around at the fishmonger once they’ve been caught. If you’re lucky enough to find them – it’s easy to tell a live one – they’ll be wriggling about from the end of the shell. If they’re not lively, the advice is don’t bother. There is excellent farmed Halibut around – some of the best is raised sustainably and organically on Gigha in the cold waters of the Hebrides. It is well worth seeking out.”

Michel Roux jr
Serves

4

Prep Time

60 mins

Cooking Time

60 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 halibut fillets (skinless pavés), 150g each
  • 250g clams – palourdes or surf
  • 8 razor clams, or another 250g palourdes
  • 3 limes
  •  ½ bunch fresh coriander, freshly chopped
  • 100ml crème fraiche
  • 2  shallots, peeled and finely sliced
  • a small knob of butter
  • ½ glass dry white wine
  • 50g samphire and sea purslane, rinsed
  • olive oil
  • Cornish sea-salt

Method

For the clams

  • Start by thoroughly picking over your shellfish.
  • With the little clams – as with mussels and cockles – none of the shells should be broken or stay gaping open after a gentle rap on the side of the sink – if they do they are dead and should be discarded.
  • When they are cooked it’s the opposite – if a clam stays tightly shut when all his friends have popped open then he should be thrown away too.
  • Put your scrutinised clams in a bowl and let the cold tap gently run over them for 5 minutes then drain them and keep them cool.
  • The razor clams will also need rinsing gently under water.
  • Warm a wide pan with a lid until very hot and place the razor clams inside.
  • Quickly add a little splash of water to help them steam open then cover quickly with the lid.
  • 30 seconds later they should have steamed open.
  • Drain them, passing the juice through the finest sieve you have. The liquor from clams makes a fantastic sauce.
  • Remove the long, light coloured meaty part of the clam from the shells and discard the darker stomachy bits.
  • Slice the meat of the clam into thin lozenges and keep them cold, with a dash of their liquor on top to keep them moist.
  • If you’re partial to a little restaurant presentation keep four of the half shells to present the dish later, boiling them quickly to sterilise.
  • Sweat the shallots gently in the butter, and pour over the white wine.
  • Reduce the wine by half, then pour over the clam juice.
  • Reduce that by half then pass the sauce through a sieve into a little pan.
  • Add the crème fraiche and bring to a gentle simmer. If you boil the sauce you’ll lose its freshness and it will quickly become a heavy, greasy mess.
  • Grate the bright green zest from half of one lime and add it to the sauce.
  • Squeeze in the juice of the lime – the sauce should be light, fresh and slightly acid.
  • Check for salt – the clam liquor itself can often be salty enough.

To make the halibut

  • Lightly season the halibut, making sure it’s nice and dry.
  • In a non-stick pan heat a little olive oil and roast the fish on a medium heat. After 2 minutes turn the fish and continue cooking on the other side.
  • After another 2 minutes remove the fish to a warm place to rest – it should be only just cooked through.
  • Pour the clams in the shell into the hot pan and shake around to open. Throw in the samphire, sea purslane and cut razor clams to quickly warm through – too much heat here will turn the clams tough and chewy.

To serve

  • Put the halibut into deep bowls and pour the clams and sea vegetables around and into the razor clam shells.
  • Quickly lighten the sauce with a brisk whisking or a little buzz of the hand-blender and pour it over and around.
  • Finish with a sprinkling of Cornish salt, the roughly chopped coriander (including the stalks, as that’s where a lot of the green, vibrant flavour is found) and a fresh lime wedge.

Roux at The Landau – The Langham, 1 Portland Place, London, W1B 1JA

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